Differential yoke - what’s up with this?

[AR67GTX]

The holes in the yoke are already close to where the u joint caps are as can be seen in my photos. If I drilled them out and tapped the for 5/16” bolts I think I would be real close to the surface.

As pnora said, I don’t think the seat in the caps would fit a 5/16” bolt head although hex head cap screws would probably work. I don’t have the yoke off yet as it’s holding in lube, or at least slowing seepage until I put the new seal in and have the new yoke to slide in.

Once off The car, I will look at it closer and may consider drilling and tapping it to 5/16” and keeping it for a spare.

It’s a mystery to me. The threads still in it look full depth (see the picture above), but a 1/4” bolt slides right through it. It couldn’t have had fine threads cut that over-depth in it if a proper size tap was used.

 

[AR67GTX]

Mopar and after market suppliers never seem to make anything easy on you. The pinion nut I took off was 1-1/4”. When I went to install the yoke the replacement nut was 1-5/16” - which of course I didn’t have a socket in that size and had to go buy one. But transmission bushing is tight now and neither end of the shaft appears to leaking now.

 

[1STMP]

Haven't we all!! haha.

I haven't.....yet.....

 

[Old Sparky]

Installing new seal in differential, bushing & seal in trans and new u- joints - Dana rear.

When I pulled the driveshaft out the caps were through bolted at the differential yoke with nuts on the bolts. When I look in the holes they are clearly and cleanly threaded as I would expect for strap bolts (no nuts). The replacement bolts in the strap kit I bought are 1/4” and slide right in without engaging the threads. Looks like the bolts/nuts that were in it are 1/4” too. Tried a 5/16” fine thread bolt in it and it’s too big to engage. Also tried a couple thread chaser taps in 1/4” and 5/16” with same results. Only thing I can figure is possibly a 9/32” bolt (?) or metric. I have a hard time believing it’s an obscure 9/32” bolt that I can’t find or metric.

Anyone else run into this and figure it out? Guess I can re-use the old bolts/nuts that look to be grade 5 but would rather use a proper bolt or possibly replace the yoke since it will be out too.

If that is a replacement rear end I would bet your next paycheck it is metric....I would look into that first above all.....metrics show up in the wierdest places....I have run into that myself. GL

 

[AR67GTX]

It would seem to fall around 7 mm but when I do a search for 7 mm bolts, not much comes up. Doesn’t seem to be a common bolt size? But considering it’s nicely tapped only that or 9/32” bolt seem possible.

 

[hangn0ut]

It would seem to fall around 7 mm but when I do a search for 7 mm bolts, not much comes up. Doesn’t seem to be a common bolt size? But considering it’s nicely tapped only that or 9/32” bolt seem possible.

Looks to me one is fine pitch and the other, not so fine.

 

[AR67GTX]

I’m not sure if that’s just due to the close up and perspective view or actually the case. I may play around with it some more to see if I can figure what size tap was used.

 

[Wietse]

If that is a replacement rear end I would bet your next paycheck it is metric....I would look into that first above all.....metrics show up in the wierdest places....I have run into that myself. GL

Looking at the fine threads you might be right (Metric or UNF), try an M8 bolt to see if that goes in.
M6 is similar as 1/4" (6.35mm) and M8 is similar as 5/16" (7.94mm), uneven metric sizes are not or barely used.